System and method to configure communication lanes of a central processing unit

Abstract

An information handling system includes a memory and a central processing unit. The memory stores a boot image for a boot process of the information handling system. The central processing unit loads the boot image and executes the boot process. During the boot process, the central processing unit performs a pre-EFI initialization phase that configures a socket of the central processing unit during an auto-discovery of the socket, and stores the socket configuration in a memory.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An information handling system comprising:
 a memory to store a boot image for a boot process of the information handling system; and 
 a central processing unit to load the boot image and to execute the boot process, which causes the central processing unit to: 
 perform a pre-EFI initialization phase of the boot process; and 
 during the pre-EFI initialization phase, the central processing unit to initialize a system memory for the information handling system, to determine if a basic input/output system (BIOS) attribute is set to an auto-discovery, in response to the BIOS attribute being set to the auto-discovery, the central processing unit to: perform the auto-discovery of the socket; send a ping from each communication lane of the socket; receive one or more responses to the ping from each communication lane, wherein the one or more responses includes platform information for a socket of a resource responding to the ping; configure a socket of the central processing unit during the auto-discovery of the socket based in part on the platform information; store the socket configuration in a memory, and reset the boot process at an end of the pre-EFI initialization phase. 
 
     
     
       2. The information handling system of  claim 1  wherein during the auto-discovery of the socket, the central processing unit further to:
 place the socket in a default communication lane configuration including first, second, third, and fourth communication lanes. 
 
     
     
       3. The information handling system of  claim 2  wherein the default communication lane configuration is a full breakup of communication lanes within the socket of the central processing unit. 
     
     
       4. The information handling system of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more responses further includes a present indicator and a lane width for the socket of the resource responding to the ping. 
     
     
       5. The information handling system of  claim 1  wherein the central processing unit further to:
 after the boot process is reset:
 perform a security phase of the boot process; 
 load the stored socket configuration during the pre-EFI initialization phase; 
 perform a driver execution environment phase of the boot process; and 
 perform a run time phase. 
 
 
     
     
       6. A method comprising:
 starting a boot process of an information handling system; and 
 performing a pre-EFI initialization phase of the boot process, the pre-EFI initialization phase including: determining if a basic input/output system (BIOS) attribute is set to an auto-discovery, in response to the BIOS attribute being set to the auto-discovery: initializing a system memory for the information handling system; performing the auto-discovery of the socket; sending a ping from each communication lane of the socket; receiving one or more responses to the ping from each communication lane, wherein the one or more responses includes platform information for a socket of a resource responding to the ping; configuring a socket of a central processing unit of the information handling system during the auto-discovery of the socket based in part on the platform information; performing auto-discovery lane bifurcation of the socket to determine a socket configuration; storing the socket configuration in a memory; and resetting the boot process at an end of the pre-EFI initialization phase. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  wherein the auto-discovery of the socket comprising:
 placing the socket in a default communication lane configuration including first, second, third, and fourth communication lanes. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein the default communication lane configuration is a full breakup of communication lanes within the socket of the central processing unit. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6  wherein each of the one or more responses further includes a present indicator and a lane width for the socket of the resource responding to the ping. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 after the boot process is reset:
 performing security phase of the boot process; 
 loading the stored socket configuration during the pre-EFI initialization phase; 
 performing a driver execution environment phase of the boot process; and 
 performing a run time phase. 
 
 
     
     
       11. A method comprising:
 starting a boot process of an information handling system; and 
 performing a pre-EFI initialization phase of the boot process, the pre-EFI initialization phase including: 
 determining if a basic input/output system (BIOS) attribute is set to an auto-discovery, in response to the BIOS attribute being set to the auto-discovery: 
 initializing a system memory for the information handling system; 
 starting the auto-discovery for communication lanes of a socket of a central processing unit of the information handling system; 
 placing the socket in a default communication lane configuration including first, second, third, and fourth communication lanes; 
 sending a ping from each the first, second, third, and fourth communication lanes; 
 receiving one or more responses from sockets of a resource in communication with the socket of the central processing unit, wherein the one or more responses includes platform information for a socket of a resource responding to the ping; 
 configuring the socket of the central processing unit based on the one or more responses; 
 storing the socket configuration in a memory; and 
 resetting the boot process at an end of the pre-EFI initialization phase. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein the default communication lane configuration is a full breakup of communication lanes within the socket of the central processing unit. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11  wherein each of the one or more responses further includes a present indicator and a lane width for a socket of a resource responding to the ping. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 performing a security phase of the boot process prior to performing the pre-EFI initialization phase. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 after the boot process is reset:
 performing security phase of the boot process; 
 loading the stored socket configuration during the pre-EFI initialization phase; 
 performing a driver execution environment phase of the boot process; and 
 performing a run time phase.